US President Barack Obama told reporters on 5 September about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and their attempts to come to an agreement over the hostilities in Syria and negotiate a cessation of violence. A senior US administration official said that Obama and Putin had a longer-than-expected meeting on how they could agree a deal.Sep 6, 2016

UK Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out giving a running commentary on Brexit negotiations with the EU, she told MPs at Prime Minsters Questions on 7 September. The Prime Minster was assertive on the stance after Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested the UK staying in the single market was improbable. Downing Street was quick to state Davis had been making a personal view rather than a government statement.Sep 7, 2016

UK Prime Minister Theresa May attacked Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at the first Prime Ministers Questions since the summer break over polling suggesting many didnt feel he would be a good leader. Corbyn chose not to tackle May with hard questions about the EU, Brexit or a leak about grammar schools, but stuck to housing.Sep 7, 2016

China is embroiled in multiple territorial disputes with its neighbours both over land sea. The country contests ownership of islands in the South China Sea against Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam. There is also a long-running fued between China and Japan over Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. In the west of the country China and India fought a war over a swathe of disputed Himalayan border in 1962 and even in 2016 the spat continues to provoke fiery exchanges between Asiaâ€™s two biggest super-powers.Sep 7, 2016